Hanshina
Homeland : Hanshina Han-Shee-Nah Capital City : Kyojen Homeland Description: The volcanic island of Hanshina lies in the northeast of Vaenice, with an abundance of hot springs and sleeping volcanoes lining the northern borders of the country. The most famous of which is Mt. Shijin. With a height of 13,000 feet, the 'Sleeping Tiger', as coined by the citizens of Hanshina, is capable of leveling the entire country if it ever decides to erupt once again. Apart from the country's geology, Hanshina is also well-known for its numerous ports, which are responsible for making the city of Kyojen into the rich, prosperous city today due to their many trade routes, the most famous of which is named the 'Path of the Ancestors' Guidance', stretching from port Jishin, in-between Kyojen and the Areshina Sea at the southern part of the island, to Tritonia's Port Hindar, passing Arcadia along the way. The Western part of the country is known as the 'Sacred Lands', where the country's Emperor and his naval fleet resides. The mighty palace 'Nashika', otherwise known as the 'Tiger's Eye', sits on the top of a mountain known as Mt. Dashi, who's height rivals Mt. Shijin at 11,830 feet. Surrounded by cliffs and fortress walls, the only accessible route is heavily guarded by the Emperor's elite troop. Physical Appearances : The Hanshinans are fair-skinned, with slight yellow tones to them. The color of their hair is almost exclusively black, with just a minority sporting deep brown shades. Men keep long hair styled in a ponytail, where women have straight, exceptionally long hair which can sometimes reach all the way down to knee-level. The citizens of Hanshina tend to be somewhat short, where the males are around 5'9", and females averaging at around 5'1", though some are as short as 4'8". Clothing : Due to the oriental nature of the country, the dressings of the citizens tend to follow as such. Long, elaborate costumes in bright colors ranging from red to yellow and pinks, their costumes are patterned with designs of flowers and birds. Males tend to wear straw, umbrella shaped hats on their domes, while women prefer to keep ribbons in their long hair to futher augment it. Only His Majesty and his army is allowed to wear the sacred color of white, and their outfits are often decorated with pictures of their most esteemed creature, the White Tiger. However, this attire is only used indoors, as wearing anything other than three or more layers of extremely thick clothing would probably leave you dead due to the cold. Lifestyle : Culture is held in the highest regard in Hanshina, where most people pursue the arts of music, writing and painting. Favorite past-times of the people include long walks along thebeach mountains, a dip in the hot springs, and ending the day with with one of the many plays held in their concert halls in the evenings. The emperor is seen to the people as a 'Divine Being', descended from the gods themselves, and his orders are absolute. However, recently, the peace-loving citizens of Hanshina have taken a skeptical attitude to the Emperor's focus on military might, although none of them are brave enough to actually voice their concerns in public. Interests: The pursue of arts is not the only thing that the Hanshinans are interested in, however. Magic is well-known to be Hanshina's specialty, with children as young as the age of four learning the great arts of Magic, as they believe it to be a gift especially for their country, sent down from the gods themselves. Though mostly used for peaceful means like agricultural improvements, the emperor has recently taken to employing and drafting in skilled Elementalists to bolster his military strength. Sacred Creature: The tigers are worshipped by the people of Hanshina, going as far as to dedicate temples and shrines to the greatest of the great ones, the White Tigers. This originated from an old legend, where a single White Tiger handpicked and raised by the Emperor himself, drove back invading armies threatening to destroy the people's homeland. Until this day, the people still see the spirit of the great fighting tiger, 'Shirin', as their nation's savior. Economy : Hanshina not only grew rich due to their exporting of tea and silk, two materials unique to their country, but through the selling of their magnificent paintings. Many people consider it a great honor to have a work of art painted by a great master hanging in their homes, and the price of just one of those pieces of art can cost as much as an imperial battleship. Also, the fishes lurking in the seas around Hanshina are of the highest quality in all of Vaenice, so there would be no wondering why the Hanshinans put them in the market. Diplomacy : *Tritonia : Although the Tritonians appear to be aggressive in negotiating, these two countries have been able to see somewhat eye to eye. Hanshina recognizes Tritonia’s military prowess and the formation of the Imperial Fleet is to measure up to (and eventually surpass) Tritonia. However, the two countries are able to trade freely with one another. *Arcadia : The Arcadians are highly respected friends of the Hanshina Empire. They will always be welcomed onto Hanshinan territory with opened arms. *Luxaria : The rival nation of Hanshina, these two are always competing with one another. Ever since Luxaria announced its might with Psionics, Hanshina was obligated to intensify its training with Auria in the ways of the elementals. *Exiona : Hanshina could learn much from this highly industrialized nation in the far west. The emperor recently took upon great interest in cooperating with the Exionians. 'Military ': Hanshina's naval might in the beginning was extremely weak, with only a small squadron of guard boats protecting their trade ships from pirate attacks. Recently though, the Emperor has been expanding his navy, and the fleet of the Hanshinans has grown to be the strongest in the whole of Vaenice. Their true strength, however, lies in their Elementalists which has been made known to the world ever since the beginning of time, and only grew more notorious when the first major battle between the Hanshinans and the Luxarians took place. With might enough to match the Psions of Luxaria, the Elementalists of Hanshina rained fire and brimstone from the heavens on the incoming Luxarian fleet, reducing it to mere rubble now lying at the bottom of Areshina Sea. Category:Countries